CASTRO VALLEY — This community is going to get a little goofy Saturday, Aug. 8, with a “Barks and Brass” celebration.

A press release about the dogs/kids mash-up from the Castro Valley/Eden Area Chamber of Commerce explains the event:

Downtown Castro Valley will play host to young musicians and their fans, right alongside Castro Valley’s cherished dogs and their owners. Barks and Brass, a new community event, organized by the Castro Valley/Eden Area Chamber of Commerce and the Alameda County Economic Development Department, will have its inaugural run on Aug. 8 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the parking lot behind the Daughtrey Building.

“We wanted to do something downtown that would be just pure fun, and kids and dogs were the first things that came to mind,” said Bill Mulgrew, chamber executive director.

“So many kids spend summers developing musically, we thought it would be a good idea to give them an outlet for appreciation. And, people have been suggesting pet related events to us for a long time, so we’re going to combine them, have a really fun program.”

There will be two stages. At 11 a.m., one of the kids musical acts will perform 20 minutes. That will be followed by a a dog-related contest on the other stage for 20 minutes, then back to the next musical act, and so forth.

Five musical acts will be featured, interspersed with four dog contests: best dressed, best trick, owner look-alike and best looking. The day will conclude with a dog parade.

Local vets, groomers, pet retailers, pet blessings and law enforcement K-9 teams will have exhibits. There will be raffles and giveaways, and food trucks will be on hand.

“We wanted to give the community some reasons to come together and have fun on a Saturday, and thanks to the generosity of Alameda County we get to use the parking lot of the Daughtrey Building before work starts on the building remodel,” Mulgrew said.

Registration for the dog contests starts at 10 a.m., and it is suggested that those interested go early because the number of entries will be limited.

For more information call the chamber at 510-537-5300, email info@castrovalleychamber.com or go to the www.edenareachamber.com/events.

HAYWARD — The Odd Fellows are once again putting on free outdoor concerts Sunday afternoons.

This is the sixth year of the concerts at Hayward Memorial Park, behind the Hayward Plunge on Mission Boulevard.

The concerts are free, but each one features a local nonprofit group. Tax-deductible donations can be made to the nonprofits.

This Sunday (Aug. 9) will have a blues concert with Chris Marquis and Sycamore 129 Blues Band. The concert is a benefit for the Family Emergency Shelter Coalition, commonly known as FESCO.www.fescofamilyshelter.org

Sezu with Kari & the SweetspOts will perform what is being billed as “original feel-good music” on Aug. 23. Donations will be accepted for South Hayward Parish. www.SouthHaywardParish.org

A jazz concert featuring What’s Up Big Band on Aug. 30 will benefit the Hayward-La Honda Music Camp, a summer camp for middle school and high school students in the Santa Cruz Mountains. www.lahondamusiccamp.org

The jazz theme continues Sept. 13, with 3 O’Clock Jump and Mount Eden High School choir members performing to benefit the school’s choir program. Hayward City Councilman Francisco Zermeno will be grilling sausages from Fabrique Delices.

Hayward Odd Fellows Sycamore Lodge teams up with the park district to put on the concert series, called “Plunge into Music, Arts and Dance for Summer Sundays in the Park.”

The concerts are in the bandshell at the park. If going, grab a blanket or lawn chair and a picnic (no alcohol). In addition to the music, the concerts will have a chalk art area and picnic tables for chess players. Chess players will be on hand to teach anyone interested.

The concerts generally run from 1 to 5 p.m. at Hayward Memorial Park, 24176 Mission Blvd. The park has a tot lot and tennis courts. Indoor swimming is offered at the Hayward Plunge, and a trail at the back of the park follows a creek into the hills.

Hayward Odd Fellows Sycamore Lodge #129 was re-formed in 2010, with a focus on supporting local music and the arts. For more information about the lodge, go to www.haywardlodge.org.

HAYWARD — Hayward Unified School District and its partners will start “Let’s Do Lunch Hayward … and breakfast too” at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 10, at Harder Elementary School, 495 Wyeth Road in Hayward.

“Let’s Do Lunch Hayward…and breakfast too,” in its fifth year, provides free meals to all Hayward students, many of whom depend on the school district’s free or subsidized lunch program to eat during the school year.

Over the past four years, “Let’s Do Lunch Hayward … and breakfast too” has served more than 650,000 meals to children in Hayward.

Community partners for “Let’s Do Lunch Hayward … and breakfast too” include former Hayward City Councilman Mark Salinas, Hayward Police Department Junior Giants, Chabot College, eight churches, the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District and Hayward libraries.

This year, Hayward Unified added “Words For Lunch” to promote literacy when school isn’t in session. During lunch, students will take part in reading activities led by high school and college student volunteers. Words for Lunch plans to distribute 1,000 free books to Hayward young people to help them start home libraries.

“In Hayward, our obligations to our students don’t end when school lets out for the summer,” said school Superintendent Stan Dobbs.

“We know that more than half of our students depend on us for free or reduced breakfast and lunch during the school year, and the Let’s Do Lunch program exemplifies our commitment to taking care of our kids all year long,” he said.

HAYWARD — The popular Hayward Executive Airport Open House returns Sunday, May 17.

Children ages 8 to 17 can take free airplane rides provided by the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagles Program. Rides are first come, first served basis.

The Federal Aviation Air Traffic Control Tower will be open for guided tours. Air traffic controllers will continue guiding airplane takeoffs and landings during the tour.

The free show will include dozens of airplanes, from vintage to business jets and helicopters. One of the highlights will be a historic Ford Tri-Motor airliner, one of only 17 in the world still flying. The large, three-engine airplanes were produced by Henry Ford’s companies in the mid-1920s to early 1930s. Rides in the Tri-Motor are $75 for adults and $50 for children.

Also on display will be a C-130 Hercules turboprop military transport aircraft. The huge plane is one of just a few military aircraft to remain in production for more than 50 years.

A Tuskegee Airman will be at the show. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American aviators in the United States military and flew during World War II.

The show will have more than aircraft. Hayward firefighters and police will display some of their vehicles and equipment. The Hayward Animal Shelter and Sunshine Rescue will bring animals available for adoption. Other Hayward departments will be represented.

Two dozen vintage and muscle cars will be on the tarmac. Food will be available for purchase from Famous Dave’s BBQ, The Mexican Restaurant, Round Table Pizza and Heaven in a Cup.

More than 4,200 people attended last year. The open house is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 17; parking is free.

The event is sponsored by Hayward, the Bay Area Black Pilots Association, Tuskegee Airmen, East Bay Aviators and the Federal Aviation Administration.

SAN LEANDRO — The city is holding a Solar Week, beginning Wednesday, April 29.

The celebration will include demonstrations of rapidly developing solar technologies.

“Climate change presents one of the most profound challenges of our time,” said San Leandro Mayor Diane Cutter in a release. “While climate change is a global problem, the most effective solutions are likely to be local,” she said.

The week starts Wednesday with the unveiling of a solar house design created by a team of Cal Poly students competing in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon. The competition is challenging collegiate teams to design, build and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient and attractive. It takes place 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Zero Net Energy Center, 14600 Catalina St.

On Thursday, OSIsoft will hold its annual Users Conference at Union Square Hilton Hotel in San Francisco.

SfunCube will hold a thin film solar hack Friday. The design hackathon, open to everyone, is part of the Hanergy Thin-Film Solar Product Global Innovation Competition. The competition, which offers thousands in prizes, closes May 10. It also will be at the Zero Net Energy Center.

Saturday and Sunday, the smart City San Leandro Hack will focus on building a community vision and outlining steps toward building a smart energy grid supported by the city’s fiber optic loop. Sunday’s hackathon is full, but there is still room in Saturday’s session, which takes place 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Zero Net Energy Center.

San Leandro Solar Week was developed by Derrick Lee, a young San Leandro entrepreneur and a leader in the maker movement. To register for one or more events, go to http://solarsanleandro.com or contact Lee at 510-676-5861 or fmvenue@gmail.com. All the events in San Leandro are free, but space is limited.

Mexico’s culture and traditions will be celebrated at several Cinco de Mayo festivals throughout the Bay Area.

Hayward and Ashland will hold festivals Saturday, and San Leandro will have a fiesta Tuesday, May 5.

Hayward’s festival will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at City Hall Plaza, 777 St. Live entertainment includes dancers, singers, and Mariachi Aguilas de Michoacan. Metro Taquero will provide food, and several agencies and vendors will have booths. Student awards will be presented.

The festival is sponsored by La Alianza de Hayward, the Hayward Public Library and the city of Hayward.

Ashland will celebrate Cinco de Mayo on Saturday with free food, local entertainment, and a community health and resource fair. The event is hosted by Alameda County Fire Department, Public Works Agency, Deputy Sheriff’s Activity League and General Services Agency, along with Hayward Area Recreation and Park District.

It takes place 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Ashland Community Center, 1530 167th Ave., San Leandro.

San Leandro will hold its 17th Cinco de Mayo celebration Tuesday, with regional Mexican dances by Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Carlos Moreno and music by Mariachi Halcones. There will be arts and crafts booths for children, and light refreshments will be served.

The fiesta will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Civic Center Plaza, 835 E. 14th St. For more information, call Lydia Rodriguez at 510-577-3477 or email lrodriguez@sanleandro.org.

HAYWARD — “Alive Inside,” a documentary about the power of music to awaken memory in seniors with Alzheimer’s and dementia, will be screened free Thursday as part of the city library’s Book-to-Action program.

The documentary follows social worker Dan Cohen for three years as he takes iPods with personalized playlists into nursing homes, where the music not only awakens memories in unresponsive elderly people, but also triggers the brain so some have lucid conversations with those around them.

The April 30 film showing is the keynote event of the library’s Music and Memory Book-to-Action program to raise awareness and encourage people to share music with seniors.

Cal State East Bay has donated 150 copies of the book “Musicophilia: Tales of Music of the Brain,” to help people learn about the importance of music in sustaining health and wellness. The author, Dr. Oliver Sacks, appears in the documentary.

The free film screening will be at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 30, at Hayward City Hall, 777 B St., Hayward. There also will be a performance by Cal State East Bay’s Aphasia Tones Chorus. Aphasia, a communication disorder that often occurs after a stroke, affects talking, understanding, reading and writing. Chorus members benefit by singing in a group.

To register and request a copy of the book and learn more about local music-sharing events, go to http://tinyurl.com/music-memory-2015. For more information, call 510-881-7700 or email sally.thomas@hayward-ca.gov.